Getting to know... Nolan Schaefer

Name: Nolan Schaefer
Position: Goaltender
Number: 27
Catches: Left
Birthplace: Yellow Grass, SK
Birthdate: January 15, 1980
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195 lbs
College: Providence College
Drafted: 5th round #166 Overall by San Jose

2005-06 Stats (as of 3/30/06):

Cleveland Barons (AHL) - (12-19-0-1) 2 shut-outs

San Jose Sharks (NHL) - (5-1-0-0) 1 shut-out

* Photos courtesy of yahoo and the AHL

It's a Birthday Bash

Last Sunday the Sharks hosted their seat selection party for the season ticket holders. It was filled with tons of festivities and the debut of their new mascot Finz. During the party they gave away 2 trips to Florida, 2 trips to San Jose to watch the sharks play next season, 150 autograph cards or current San Jose Sharks, and a giant birthday cake that was 7 feet by 3 feet for the fans to enjoy. They also had current Sharks prospects Josh Hennessy, Garrett Stafford and Tom Cavanagh to greet the fans and sign some autographs. The Sharks wanted to have this while the DCU Center was set up in hockey mode and had some youth hockey games, as well as the booster club broomball team, while people roamed the arena to look for their seats. Louie the Lock Monster, Crackers from the Portland Pirates, and Twister from the Worcester Tornadoes helped celebrate the birth of our new mascot. The day received mixed reviews from the fans however. Many fans were pleased but there were a few kinks to work out. Some complained of the long wait to pick out their seats and others weren't happy when they learned that someone else had "tagged" their seats. This was the first event of many to come hosted by the Sharks and it will be one never forgotten. Isn't it great to have hockey back in Worcester!

Sharks Swim into Worcester

The Worcester Sharks are off and swimming as they prepare for their inaugural season in the heart of New England. The journey began days after the Worcester IceCats were bought in November by Anne Griffith and Bruce Saurs and moved them to Peoria, Illinois. It took many volunteers for this to happen lead by Rich Lundin and Darryl Hunt. They were the ones who contact many potential buyers, different National Hockey League teams, the DCU, and the American Hockey League, letting them know that the AHL was viable in the city of Worcester and if given another shot that it would strive. The city also deserves a huge thanks for this all to happen. They studied what went wrong and what would work better for them. They went to the AHL All-Star game in Manchester, NH spending countless hours with people with what was needed to succeed in the league. The answers: lower rent, a curtaining system, 33 out of 40 guaranteed weekend dates, improvements to the new shark tank and revenue sharing. The city then set up a pledge drive for season tickets. They said that if they could get 3,000 tickets that would guarantee a team coming to Worcester. The city had 2 different tele-thons (one in November and another in March) and also had the volunteers working the rinks trying to reach out to the youth leagues in the area. When San Jose came to town in early January, playing the Boston Bruins wasn't the only thing on their agenda. First, they had to make a stop at the DCU Center in Worcester to make a major announcement. On January 9th, they announced that they would be moving their AHL franchise from Cleveland, OH to Worcester. This deal would keep the baby sharks in the city for 10 years! They since then have set up a website http://www.sharksahl.com and are now accepting calls for season ticket packages at 508-929-0500. There goal is to do something that the IceCats couldn't do during their 11 year tenure: PAINT THIS TOWN TEAL!